Despite losing the mayoral race on Election Day, Frank DeRuosi will still get to represent the residents of Ambler.

Ambler Borough Council unanimously approved DeRuosi to fill its vacant seat from Ward 3 left by former President Tony Isabella and was officially sworn in during the meeting on Tuesday evening.

DeRuosi, a Democrat, who lost the Ambler mayoral race to fellow Democrat Jeanne Sorg on Election Day, said he was looking forward to representing Ambler.

Advertisement

“I am happy to have the opportunity to still be involved in borough government,” DeRuosi said. “I’m excited to work for Ambler and try to do what’s best for Ambler. I was sorry to see Tony Isabella step down. I just hope to do as good a job as Tony did.”

Isabella was forced to step down from council after taking a position with the borough waste water treatment plant. He served on council for almost 10 years having been elected in 2003. He became president in the beginning of 2008 and has served for almost six years.

Because Isabella’s seat was vacated, DeRuosi is guaranteed two years on council before his seat is up for re-election.

“I [will] be in his spot for the remainder of his term,” he said. “Should I choose to keep the seat I would have to run again in two years.”

DeRuosi is one of six new faces appearing on council come January.

With council members Pat Strus and Fran Tomlinson losing their respective Election Day races, council member Paul Dooley Jr.’s decision to withdraw from his re-election race since he is moving out of Ward 2, council member Tom Kenney’s decision not to seek another term in office, the election of Sorg and now DeRuosi, council will look pretty different come January.

In other business, council approved in a 7-2 decision (council members Tom Kenney and Fran Tomlinson dissented) a resolution that allocates the funds for the loan payment needed to purchase the building formerly known as Mattison Avenue Elementary School. The building is set to become the Ambler Borough Municipal Building.

Solicitor Joseph Bresnan explained that the resolution authorizes the council president and secretary to sign the agreement of sale of the building. The settlement date for the building is set for Dec. 20.

“The resolution is just confirming the authority to sign the agreement of sale,” he said. “There’s going to be an ordinance prepared and circulated regarding the financing part, the numbers, but that all has to go to the state to [the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development] for their approval.”

Kenney later stated that the majority of the finance and planning committee, himself and Tomlinson, did not support the resolution to execute the documents.

Borough Manager Mary Aversa explained that council had already voted to purchase the school but this vote was needed to complete the paperwork.

“There are certain requirements with the acquisition that we need to meet,” she said. “They’re just giving us authorization to execute the agreement of sale.”

Council member Fran Tomlinson explained that she voted against the resolution because she didn’t support the purchase of the school in the first place.

“I didn’t support the borough buying the school previously,” she said. “I don’t support entering into an agreement of sale.”

Kenney agreed with Tomlinson.

“I don’t think the borough can afford it in the long run,” he said. “I don’t like obligating future possible income to a project. Everything is kind of an unknown. I don’t like committing possible future funds to pay for a building.”

Also, council announced the 2014 draft budget is being prepared and public meetings are scheduled for Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. The budget will be adopted Dec. 17.